Why did you choose to pursue Amplify Trading’s summer analyst programme?

I decided to take part as the comprehensive and detailed nature of the summer programme gave me a great understanding of all the roles within both the sell and buy-side of the finance industry once I started my summer internship application process. In addition, the initial call that I had with the product specialist Eddie Donmez was really helpful in providing me with an in-depth summary of the programme and its ability to support me in preparation for future summer internship applications in investment banking. I was also attracted to the fact that Amplify Trading is also a partner and service provider to many of the top investment banks such as Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Bank of America.

What is the biggest highlight of the course for you?

The interactive simulations throughout the programme definitely made the experience much more enjoyable and stimulating. On a daily basis, I was able to apply the concepts that I had learnt earlier on in the day, during the corporate finance and trading simulations which often had the right balance of competitive spirit and intellectual stimulation. Being able to achieve a top 10 ranking during the final live trading simulation was also a culmination of all the hard work and progress that I had made throughout the summer programme.

Did Amplify Trading’s structured approach help you answer technical questions in your interviews?

During the sell-side segment of the summer programme, the corporate finance trainers did a good job of breaking down many complicated corporate finance terms into simpler terms to facilitate learning. I also appreciated the fact that the pace of the classes was gauged well to account for the different level of finance experience and understanding of the interns. Finally, I was able to reinforce the corporate finance knowledge that I had learnt through practical group tasks such as working through a discounted cash flow and merger model in Excel which was extremely helpful later on during interviews.

How has the course met or exceeded your expectations, did you expect real estate to be covered?

As this was my first finance internship, I did not know what to exactly to expect in terms of the concepts covered. Based on the depth of corporate finance concepts taught, delivery of the trainers and interactive nature of the programme, most of my expectations were exceeded and I came away very impressed with the programme. With regards to Real Estate, it was always an industry that I was keen to explore but I did not expect the sector to be covered in great detail, therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to be learning about real estate valuation and the macroeconomic factors that affected it.

Is there anything you didn’t expect to either be taught or gain on the programme?

In terms of financial valuation methods, I did not expect to be taught most of the valuation methods such as DCF, LBO and merger models during the programme. This gave me a good foundation to learn more about financial modelling in Excel.

What was the post-programme support like and did Amplify Trading helped in landing a role at rbc?

During the interview process with RBC, I was able to get the support from Eddie Donmez from Amplify Trading who conducted a mock interview with me before my assessment centre. Given that real estate financing was slightly different from typical corporate finance interviews, it was extremely useful to get the support from Amplify Trading team to help me throughout the process.

How likely are you to recommend the course to a friend?

I would highly recommend the course to anyone that is still struggling to figure out whether finance is the right career for themselves or is still deciding between different roles in the industry. The detailed nature of the programme and networking sessions with industry professionals was extremely insightful and the level of support from the Amplify Trading team and alumni allows you to build long-lasting relationships with future leaders in finance.